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Kristen Arnett ’12’s book With Teeth has been named one of the top LGBTQ books of the year by Lambda Literary, an organization dedicated to nurturing and advocating for queer writers and stories.

Arnett, who majored in English at Rollins, shares the category of best lesbian fiction with authors Lauren Groff, Mia McKenzie, Kirstin Valdez Quade, and Verita Blackburn. With Teeth—which explores themes of queerness and motherhood against the backdrop of modern Florida—marks Arnett’s second Lambda Literary nomination. Her debut novel, Mostly Dead Things, was a finalist in 2019.

For the 34th iteration of the Lambda Literary Awards, or Lammys, as they’re colloquially known, judges narrowed down finalists in 24 categories from over 2,300 titles.

Arnett’s fiction and essays have been met with critical acclaim. She won the 2017 Coil Book Award for her debut short fiction collection, Felt in the Jaw, and was awarded Ninth Letter’s 2015 Literary Award in Fiction.

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